In S'pore, Thaksin voices support for Thailand's amnesty Bill

BANGKOK - Ousted Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has come out in support of a controversial amnesty Bill meant to heal political rifts in the country since his ouster in 2006, but which has sparked demonstrations from protesters who want leaders including him held accountable.

Speaking in Singapore to Post Today, the Bangkok Post's Thai-language sister newspaper, the self-exiled Thaksin said the amnesty Bill being pushed forward by his sister Yingluck Shinawatra's government would "reset" Thailand and allow a fresh start for a public tired of political conflict.

"Should we reset and move on or should we continue to fight?" he said, according to the report.

"We (people who are fighting) will soon be gone. It is our children who will take our place and they will have to live in a bruised and battered country because of what we do, because we just want to win... to be in power and have no thought for our country."

The amnesty Bill would absolve everybody involved in the political unrest since 2006, including Thaksin.

He insisted that his support for amnesty is not for himself, but many oppose the Bill because it would also clear Thaksin of his corruption convictions and allow him to return to the country without paying for his crimes.

"I have no problem staying in foreign lands for another 10 years. I am used to it," said Thaksin in the Post interview.

"If you ask me if I want to go home, of course I do. But it doesn't bother me if I can't."

The Post interview did not say what Thaksin was doing in Singapore, how long he was staying in the country nor where it carried out the interview.